German Chancellor Calls on Tehran, Ankara to Help Ease Qatar Crisis

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel said all Persian Gulf nations, and also Iran and Turkey, should work together to resolve a worsening diplomatic crisis between Qatar and several Arab countries in the Middle East.

Merkel, who was speaking in Mexico City alongside Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, said it would be impossible to sort out the "very unsettling" situation unless all regional actors were involved, Reuters reported on Friday.

Saying that she was concerned about the situation in Qatar, Merkel stressed that it was vital Iran, Turkey and the states of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council worked together to end the crisis.

"We have to see that the political solution of conflicts ... such as the situation in Syria, such as the situation in Libya or the situation in Iraq, won't happen if certain players are no longer even included in the conversation, and that includes Qatar, it includes Turkey, it includes Iran," she said.

Merkel said she wanted the balance of power to be maintained "sensibly" in the region, and that combating terrorism would be on the agenda when G20 leaders meet next month in Hamburg.

On Monday, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain and the Maldives and a number of others cut off diplomatic ties with the Doha government and suspended air, sea and land transport with Qatar.

Iran has called for a "clear and explicit dialogue" among the feuding nations, saying rising tensions among its Persian Gulf neighbors threaten the interests of everyone in the region.

As of Tuesday morning, Qatari planes bound for Europe or Africa began to fly over Iran’s territory.